Coffee Drink
What Is a Flat White? Recipe and Latte Comparison
A flat white is espresso with finely textured steamed milk in a small cup. Expect a silky texture and a more pronounced coffee flavor than a milkier latte.
Drink Snapshot
- Caffeine
- ~75 mg referenceGeneric USDA espresso, 36 gGeneric prepared-espresso reference for the stated portion.
- Calories
- About 80 kcalRecipe estimateWith 120 ml (4 US fl oz) whole milk and no added sugar.
Serving, sugar and sources
- Serving
- 1 drink in a 180 ml (6 US fl oz) cup
- Made with
- 36 g espresso + 120 ml (4 US fl oz) cold whole milk
- Sugar
- About 6 g total. Naturally present in the milk; no added sugar.
- Preparation
- About 5 minutes with equipment ready
Calories and sugar are ingredient estimates. Caffeine uses a generic USDA espresso reference. See the full calculation or label comparison.
Key Takeaways
- 1Less milk makes the same espresso taste stronger without adding caffeine.
- 2Aim for glossy, flowing milk with tiny bubbles and no stiff foam cap.
- 3Ristretto and latte art are optional; café recipes and sizes vary.
On This Page11 Sections
Flat White vs. Latte: The Quick Answer
The usual difference is milk quantity, not whether one has foam. A small latte and a flat white can overlap.
| Flat white | Latte |
|---|---|
| Milk: usually less around the espresso | Milk: usually a larger portion around the espresso |
| Texture: fine, integrated microfoam | Texture: can also use fine microfoam |
| Caffeine: depends on the espresso | Caffeine: the same when made with the same espresso |
When choosing between a café's flat white and latte, I ask how much milk each contains. The names point me in a direction, but the actual portions tell me which cup is more likely to suit the coffee intensity I want.
How to Make a Flat White
Recipe
Flat white
- Makes:
- 1 serving
- Time:
- About 5 minutes with equipment ready
Ingredients
- 18 g coffee beans, ground for espresso, to produce 36 g brewed espresso as a starting point
- 120 ml (4 US fl oz) cold whole milk, measured before steaming
Equipment
- Espresso machine with steam wand
- grinder
- scales
- tamper
- milk pitcher
- 180 ml (6 US fl oz) cup
Method
- Extract the espresso. Distribute and tamp 18 g ground coffee in a suitable double basket, then extract 36 g brewed espresso as a starting point. This 1:2 ratio is dry coffee to brewed espresso by weight, not espresso to milk. Adjust the grind and extraction to your beans and machine.
- Steam the milk. Introduce a little air near the start, then create a rolling motion to integrate the bubbles. Aim for glossy, flowing milk at 60–65°C (140–149°F), with no large bubbles or stiff foam cap.
- Swirl and pour. Gently tap away large surface bubbles if necessary, then swirl the milk. Pour the milk measured before steaming steadily into the espresso, leaving a little space below the rim.
Estimated nutrition per serving: 80 calories; total sugar 6 g. Serving: 1 flat white with 36 g espresso and 120 ml (4 US fl oz) whole milk.
Recipe notes
Use a pitcher suitable for steaming 120 ml (4 US fl oz) of milk. If yours requires more, scale the whole recipe to make additional servings and divide the milk evenly between them.
For help with dosing, tamping and grind adjustments, see the espresso brewing guide.
The milk and espresso portions follow Origin Coffee's measured recipe, which also gives the milk-temperature range. Pact Coffee's recipe supports the 18 g dry dose and 36 g espresso starting point.
Flat White Ratio and Cup Size
For this version, use 36 g brewed espresso plus 120 ml (4 US fl oz) milk measured cold, in a cup holding 180 ml (6 US fl oz). One extraction from an 18 g double basket supplies the full espresso portion; you do not need two of those extractions.
Measuring the espresso by weight and the milk before steaming makes the recipe easier to repeat than estimating layers in the cup. Final fill varies with crema and aeration.
How to Get Silky Microfoam
La Marzocco's milk-steaming guide separates adding air from folding it through the milk:
- Position: briefly purge condensation into the drip tray, then place the tip just beneath the milk surface. Angle the pitcher enough to start the milk circulating.
- Add a little air: lower the pitcher slightly to bring the tip near the surface. Listen for a quiet hiss. Splattering means the tip is too exposed; raise the pitcher a little.
- Mix: raise the pitcher so the tip sits deeper. Keep the milk turning while it heats, rather than continuing to add air. Use a thermometer for the 60–65°C (140–149°F) target.
- Check the result: after a gentle tap and swirl, the milk should look glossy and flow together. A dry mound suggests too much air; a thin liquid beneath a separate cap needs better integration.
Does a Flat White Need Ristretto?
No. Some cafés use ristretto; others use a standard espresso extraction. A shorter shot is not automatically sweeter or better. Start with a balanced shot you can repeat, using the espresso brewing guide for extraction adjustments.
Two Published Flat White Recipes Compared
These public recipes use different espresso and milk portions:
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| Published recipe | Brewed coffee | Milk before frothing |
|---|---|---|
| Origin Coffee | 36 g espresso | 120 ml (4 US fl oz) cold milk |
| Nespresso New Zealand, Original Flat White | 40 ml (1.4 US fl oz) espresso setting | 90 ml (3 US fl oz) milk |
For a conventional espresso machine, use Origin's weighed shot as a starting point; for Nespresso Original, use the capsule recipe's 40 ml (1.4 US fl oz) setting. Keep each recipe's coffee and milk quantities together: espresso weight and volume are not interchangeable because crema affects volume.
What Does a Flat White Taste Like?
A flat white leaves the espresso easy to recognize through the milk. Depending on the coffee, that might mean chocolate, roasted nuts, caramel or a brighter fruit note.
Texture: fine microfoam gives the drink a silky feel, with coffee and milk arriving together in a sip. A thick, stiff cap feels different.
Choose it if: you want a small milk coffee with a clear espresso presence. A larger latte gives you more milk around the same shot.
Flat White vs. Cappuccino and Cortado
Other small milk coffees differ in foam, proportions and local ordering conventions:
| Drink | Difference that helps you choose |
|---|---|
| Cappuccino | Usually a more pronounced foam layer; modern versions can also have soft microfoam |
| Cortado | Usually smaller, with roughly equal espresso and lightly textured milk by volume |
For neighboring small drinks, compare piccolo, cortado, Gibraltar and Magic. Magic has its own Melbourne ordering convention and is not simply another name for a flat white.
What About a Starbucks Flat White?
Starbucks' espresso guide describes its flat white with ristretto and steamed whole milk. That is a branded recipe convention. Check your selected size and customizations on the U.S. menu rather than applying this small home recipe's quantities or nutrition to the café drink.
Which Espresso Drink Should I Order?
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Find Your Espresso Drink
Your match
Flat white
Try a flat white for silky milk and a pronounced espresso flavor, usually in a smaller cup than a latte.
- Milk
- Modest portion
- Foam
- Fine microfoam
- Coffee taste
- Pronounced
Café recipes and sizes vary. Coffee taste describes flavor intensity, not caffeine content.
Your match: Flat white. Try a flat white for silky milk and a pronounced espresso flavor, usually in a smaller cup than a latte.
Flat White Troubleshooting
| If the flat white is… | Try this |
|---|---|
| Too milky | Check the milk portion and use a compact cup |
| Sharp or sour | Taste the espresso separately and improve extraction; shortening it further may make things worse |
| Bubbly or stiff | Introduce less air and spend more of steaming integrating the bubbles |
| Thin beneath a separate foam cap | Swirl immediately before pouring and avoid leaving the pitcher standing |
| Harsh or cooked-tasting | Check the shot and milk temperature; avoid repeatedly reheating milk |
Oat Milk, Decaf and Equipment Alternatives
Oat milk: use the same intended portion and choose a formulation suited to steaming. Brands differ in flavor, texture and nutrition; follow the package's heating guidance. The milk comparison guide covers dairy and plant alternatives.
Decaf: keep the same method and use decaffeinated beans. Decaf can still contain a small amount of caffeine.
Without a steam wand: gently warm the milk and introduce a little air with a handheld frother or French press, then swirl and pour promptly. Matching steam-wand microfoam is harder. For a moka-pot approximation, start with 40 ml (1.4 US fl oz) strong brewed coffee and 120 ml (4 US fl oz) cold milk, warmed and frothed; expect different extraction and caffeine.
For an iced flat white, use the separate cold recipe: espresso, cold milk and ice do not preserve the hot version's integrated steamed-milk texture.
Flat White Caffeine, Calories and Sugar
How Much Caffeine Is in a Flat White?
About 75 mg for the 36 g espresso portion, using a generic reference estimate. Actual caffeine depends on the beans, dose and extraction; see the calculation below.
For a café drink, use its published figure for your chosen size and shot recipe.
Calories and Sugar for This Recipe
For 36 g espresso and all 120 ml (4 US fl oz) of the intended milk portion, with no added sugar, the following are rounded ingredient estimates:
Swipe to see all columnsScroll to see all columns
| Milk used | Whole-drink calories | Total sugar |
|---|---|---|
| Whole milk, 3.25% fat | About 80 kcal | About 6 g |
| Reduced-fat milk, 2% | About 65 kcal | About 6 g |
| Skim milk | About 45 kcal | About 6 g |
The sugar is naturally present in milk. Syrup, larger servings and plant milks change the totals.
How the caffeine and calorie estimates are calculated
The caffeine reference uses USDA's restaurant-prepared espresso entry, at 212 mg per 100 g: 212 × 36 ÷ 100 = 76.3 mg, rounded to about 75 mg. An 18 g-in/36 g-out home extraction need not match that database sample.
Calories and sugar use USDA's whole, 2% and skim milk records and their household volume conversions, plus 36 g espresso. The individual records are linked under Nutrition references in Sources and further reading. The figures describe the intended serving, not extra milk left in the pitcher.
Using oat milk? For this 120 ml (4 US fl oz) portion, multiply a carton value stated per 100 ml by 1.2, then add about 3 kcal for the espresso. Use the same calculation for the milk's sugar; the espresso reference adds none. Check your carton rather than assuming every oat drink has the same nutrition.
History and Culture
The flat white is associated with the café cultures of Australia and New Zealand, with competing origin accounts. Origin Coffee acknowledges that dispute. It is more useful to understand the shared espresso-and-microfoam style than to assign one unverified inventor.
Its spread has also broadened the name. Different cafés use different cup sizes, doses and shot styles. Treat those as menu-specific versions, and ask how the drink is made when ordering.
Common Questions
Is a flat white stronger than a latte?
How many shots are in a flat white?
Does a flat white have foam?
Is a flat white sweet?
Editor's Take
Sources and Further Reading
9 references
External links open in a new tab
Preparation & ordering
- Origin CoffeeFlat white methodPublished starting recipe, microfoam and steaming guidance.(opens in a new tab)
- Pact CoffeeFlat white quantities18 g dose, 36 g espresso and 120 ml milk example; grams and milliliters remain distinct.(opens in a new tab)
- La MarzoccoSteaming milk at homeWand position, aeration and milk integration.(opens in a new tab)
- Nespresso New ZealandOriginal Flat White recipeSecond published recipe in the comparison; quantities retain the source’s units.(opens in a new tab)
- StarbucksEspresso and ristrettoBranded ristretto-and-whole-milk version; check the menu for the selected serving.(opens in a new tab)
Nutrition references
- USDA FoodData CentralWhole milk, FDC 171265Ingredient calories, sugar and household volume conversion used in the estimates.(opens in a new tab)
- USDA FoodData Central2% milk, FDC 171267Reduced-fat milk reference for the same-portion nutrition comparison.(opens in a new tab)
- USDA FoodData CentralSkim milk, FDC 171269Nonfat milk reference for the same-portion nutrition comparison.(opens in a new tab)
- USDA FoodData CentralEspresso, FDC 171891Generic caffeine and energy reference for the stated espresso portion.(opens in a new tab)
For more extraction detail, use the espresso brewing guide.